Testimonials

Sean McElhiney

My win in the inaugural Scriptapalooza Screenplay competition opened lots of doors for me, and although I failed to parlay any of the many contacts I made at the time into a project, I am forever indebted for the attention, the care, and the boost to my confidence this life-changing event provided. My experience with Scriptapalooza informs my creative life to this day.

Howard Skora

Winning Scriptapalooza opened so many doors and got me the "cred to get read." The best example I can provide is when I had self-submitted my screenplay to an unnamed agency long before I won. When I called reception (after they had my script for months) the person, who answered the phone, told me I was a “pass”. I said I was sorry to hear that, especially since the script that they just passed on had just won 1st place of Scriptapalooza. Man, that felt good to say after a rejection, but the story doesn’t end there. Suddenly, I got a call back a few hours later telling me a “mistake” had been made…and the agent just read my script and would like to meet with me. Obviously, my script was never read, it sat on a pile till it was a “ pass", and somehow, after I won, they actually bothered to read it. That’s what winning Scriptapalooza does, it gets you the attention you can’t get from advocating for yourself. I met with Ben Stiller’s company and got my screenplay into many other places. I eventually landed my managers who I still have today…and who believe in me the way the folks at Scriptapalooza do.

People always talk about how contests open doors, and Scriptapalooza certainly did that for me. But, what makes Scriptapalooza special is that it gives you the resources (the money is nice too) and more importantly, the confidence to keep going. Mark and his team are first rate, decent people. They truly care and they work hard at helping you. You can’t say that about many contests. It’s why they are known as one of the best, they are passionate about scripts and helping talent, and you can’t fake that. I love the folks at Scriptapalooza and have had nothing but an amazing experience with them. This is the contest to enter! I would recommend them to anyone trying to break in.

Patrick Andrew O’Connor

"When I started out as a writer, I had no idea if I was any good. Finding people in the industry to read my stuff was difficult, and getting feedback was even harder. That's why Scriptapalooza was so important to me. Winning this contest was the first time I got that positive reinforcement that this writing thing may be for me after all. Even just being named a quarterfinalist is a huge accomplishment that will give you the confidence to continue to pursue your dreams, as it did for me. Scriptapalooza also really helped open doors for me as people tend to take you and your work a lot more seriously when you can tell them you finished high in such a prestigious contest."

Rawle Brown

Mark and Scriptapalooza were professional, experienced and knowledgeable. It was such a pleasure learning from folks who are passionate about writing.

Chris Pentzell

Winning the Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Contest definitely opened many doors for me. I was able to get representation as a writer and found myself in the position of pitching ideas to studios. I’ve had two feature films produced since winning. More importantly, winning gave me the confidence to know I was on the right track with my storytelling abilities. Even though my current focus is acting, I still get hired to write from time to time, often on the strength of having “Scriptapalooza" on my resume.

Andrew James Carter

Mark Andrushko is a champion of screenwriters worldwide with unparalleled drive and enthusiasm. His industry knowledge and tireless hard work have forged Scriptapalooza into one of the world's foremost screenwriting competitions; with a spectacular pedigree and annual entries approaching 4000 scripts from across the globe. Aside from the prizes themselves, Scriptapalooza sets itself apart from its rivals in the level of support and promotion given to its winners and runners-up: all driven, of course, by Mark's passion for the craft. Under Mark's leadership, it is clear that Scriptapalooza will only go from strength-to-strength in the years to come.

John Woodard

I have won several screenwriting contests over the years. Scriptapalooza was the ONLY ONE that got me meetings. Not only for my 1st place win, but for PLACING in the TOP 100.

Aaron Brophy

Winning Scriptapalooza with an unlikely story like BATTLE gave me the courage to write more personal stories that mattered to me. The affirmation was priceless!

Michael Bowler

I am humbled by having Scriptapalooza choose my science fiction screenplay, The God Machine, as its First Place Award winner in the 2017 competition. To have been selected over the thousands of outstanding scripts is beyond empowering, and I’m confident that through Scriptapalooza’s ongoing faith in my work, The God Machine will be optioned and produced one day. I thank the readers who provided valuable feedback throughout the process and to the judges who chose to honor my work. Scriptapalooza rocks!

Ernestina Juárez

I was very pleased to be a finalist in the 2018 contest and am amazed at the frequent communication from Mark Andrushko and staff at Scriptapalooza in their efforts to promote my script. I've placed high in other screenwriting contests but have never had this kind of follow-up in bringing my scripts to the attention of agents/managers and producers.

Nick Marciano

One of the very few screenwriting contests where you can feel at ease submitting your screenplay. Good people who do what they say they will do.

Beth Curry-Wagner

Scriptapalooza invests in you. Unlike other contests, where they give you a laurel and call it a day...Scriptapalooza really pushes to get your material to producers. They don't just say they will...they actually deliver. I'm blown away by the care and commitment they give to each writer.

Patricia Cori

I am so thrilled to have made semifinalist on the prestigious Scriptapalooza screenwriter's competition 2018 - my first entry with them, but not my last! The support before and following the conclusion of the judging has been solid - I've always had an immediate reply on any query, and i'm pretty amazed at the support offered semi-finalists and up with regard to one year of representation to entertainment industry executives. I'm excited to have entered another of my screenplays in the new 2019 competition, knowing it will be a rewarding experience. Well done to the team at Scriptapalooza, especially Mark Andrushko, who has been straightforward and supportive all the way through!

Adam Matalon

Thank you Scriptapalooza! As one of the winners of the competition, Scriptapalooza allowed us to build the visibility for A Boy a Man and a Kite to get the script read and ultimately raise the necessary funding to shoot the short film in the UK.